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Boundary layers in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection in air (1209.6201v1)
Published 27 Sep 2012 in physics.flu-dyn
Abstract: The boundary layer flow in a Rayleigh-B\'enard convection cell of rectangular shape has been visualized in this fluid dynamics video. The experiment has been undertaken in air at a Rayleigh number $Ra=1.3\times 10{10}$ and a Prandtl number $Pr=0.7$. Various sequences captured at selected positions of the heating plate show that the boundary layer is a very transient flow region characterized by coherent structures that permanently evolve. It becomes fully turbulent in the areas where the large-scale circulation impinge or leave the bottom plate.